"Edinson Volquez's surgery was about as serious as "Tommy John" surgery gets.

There's a chance Volquez, a 26-year-old right-hander, won't return to form until 2011.

The ulnar collateral ligament was almost completely torn. He also had a tear in the flexor mass.

"It's going to be approximately 12 months because he had to have the ligament reconstructed and flexor mass repaired," Reds trainer Mark Mann said. "He will come back and pitch in the second half of next year.

"It will most likely be 2011 before you see the old Edinson Volquez is back."

Volquez went on the disabled list June 2. The reason the surgery wasn't performed until Monday is the previous MRIs were inconclusive.

"Both MRIs - when we had the initial complaints and again before we let him start throwing on the mound - showed that he had some degenerative changes to his ligament," Mann said. "But there was no evidence of a gross tear. What Dr. (Tim) Kremchek found when he got in there (Monday) was not a tear in the flexor mass, but there was a tear in the ligament. It was almost completely torn."

"It isn't the worst," manager Dusty Baker said. "But it's bad. It hurts your heart."

It came to light Monday that Volquez threw 99 pitches in his first start at during winter ball.

"He was supposed to throw 50," Reds pitching coach Dick Pole said. "The only reason I know is it was against (Johnny) Cueto's team and his coach, who I know, counted Volquez's pitches."

Winter ball followed by the World Baseball Classic put a lot of strain on Volquez's arm.

"That's a lot of throwing," Pole said. "Most of the guys who threw in the Classic the first time didn't repeat. The rigors of getting ready that early are tough."

The number of pitchers on the disabled list is shocking: J.J. Putz, Jake Peavy, Ted Lilly, Matt Lindstrom and LaTroy Hawkins from the United States team have spent time on the DL this year.

Other major leaguers who pitched in the event and have spent time on the disabled list include Jorge Campillo, Oliver Perez and Joakim Soria from Mexico, Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan), Damaso Marte (Dominican Republic), Scott Richmond and Jesse Crain (Canada).

The Reds can't prevent players from playing in the Classic. They tried to get Volquez and Cueto to skip winter ball this past year.

"There's big-time pressure on them to play and perform," Baker said. "Plus, the money they're paying these guys. $400,000 (the MLB minimum) is a lot of money. But after you pay taxes and 25 members of your family, it's not a lot."

Baker was reluctant to blame winter ball or the WBC.

"I don't think anybody knows," Baker said.

Pole is confident that Volquez will come back.

"He'll work his butt off," Pole said. "A lot of guys come back from this throwing harder."

The news on Volquez comes three days after the Reds traded Zach Stewart, arguably their best pitching prospect, to Toronto."